DEAR READERS : What’s the difference between hand-washing and hand-sanitizing? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/handwashing), hand-washing is done with soap and water, and you are removing all types of dirt and germs from your hands. Hand-sanitizing is killing particular germs on the skin.
The more effective method of these two options is hand-washing. However, if you are away from running water and soap, hand sanitizer is an OK option to discourage the spread of germs, but hand sanitizer is not a good choice if your hands are caked with dirt, and it may not remove harmful chemicals or heavy metals like lead.
Read the label. Choose a sanitizer that is AT LEAST 60% alcohol, and put enough on your hands to cover all surfaces, from the tips of your fingers to the heels of your hands and up your wrists, too. Rub hands together and wait for the alcohol to dry (around 20 seconds).
Keeping safe and healthy is everyone’s responsibility.
DEAR HELOISE : In response to a reader’s (in a recent column) disdain of the moniker “senior citizen,” I have an option. Last fall, I turned 65, and I decided to use an expression I’d heard 20 years ago. An older woman referred to herself as a “seasoned” citizen. How profound! How true! How fun!
No one reaches their sixth decade without having faced victories and defeats, blessings and challenges, losses and gains. It is an inevitable part of aging, and it’s all about perspective. Life is like a good spice; it “seasons” each of us perfectly.
— Mary S., Pennsylvania
DEAR HELOISE : I wanted to share a hint that has been a lifesaver for us. My mother had dementia, so we started using a driveway sensor in our home. We put the sensor in the hallway, facing her bedroom. Whenever she would walk around the bed toward the door, this motion would set it off. We could even carry the main unit downstairs when needed. At night we kept it on our bedside table. We could sleep well, and also help her immediately when the sensor alerted us. I hope this can help someone else.
— Wendy M., via email
DEAR READER : What a smart and thoughtful thing to do for your mother, and the peace of mind it gives you is invaluable.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email